California Wine For Dummies
Book image
Explore Book Buy On Amazon

A driving force behind the popularity of California wine is their flavor. Generally, California wines are very fruity (that is, they have aromas and flavors that suggest fruits) and very flavorful (those fruity flavors are intense and easy to notice when you taste the wine). These characteristics appeal to a wide number of palates in the United States and beyond.

Try these white wines:

  • Dry Chenin Blanc: Medium-bodied with rich texture and a crisp backbone

  • Gewurztraminer: Full-bodied, soft, with medium-intense to intense floral and lychee flavors

  • Pinot Blanc: Dry, medium-bodied with crisp acidity and subtle flavors of apple and minerals

  • Pinot Gris/Grigio: Dry to fairly dry, fairly full, with pronounced peach, citrus, and floral flavors

  • Roussanne: Dry, full-bodied, with rich texture and white-fruit flavors

  • Viognier: Full-bodied, dry, flavorful (peaches, floral notes)

Try these red wines:

  • Barbera: Medium-bodied, fairly soft, with tart-cherry flavors

  • Cabernet Franc: Medium-bodied and dry with expressive red-fruit flavors and medium tannin

  • Malbec: Medium- or full-bodied with velvety texture and rich plum flavor

  • Petite Sirah: Full-bodied, dry and firm, with ripe dark-fruit flavors and spicy notes

  • Petit Verdot: Full-bodied, dry and firm with tannin; flavors of blueberry with violet notes

  • Sangiovese: Fairly full-bodied, with firm tannin and red-fruit and herbal flavors

  • Tempranillo: Full-bodied, with dryish texture and flavors of dark fruits and herbs

About This Article

This article is from the book:

About the book authors:

Ed McCarthy is a Certified Wine Educator, a regular contributor to Wine Enthusiast and The Wine Journal, and the coauthor of four previous For Dummies?? wine books.

Ed McCarthy is a wine writer, Certified Wine Educator, and wine consultant. McCarthy is considered a leading Champagne authority in the U.S. He is the Contributing Editor of Beverage Media. Mary Ewing-Mulligan is the first woman in America to become a Master of Wine, and is currently one of 50 MWs in the U.S. and 380 in the world.

This article can be found in the category: